Two Roads Diverged
by boldlikeblack
Summary: One detail can change everything. The future and the past are intertwined. Flip the hourglass and watch it unfold.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Well, I definitely don't own this. Superman belongs to DC and Smallville is the CW's. I'm just roaming around in their totally awesome, tricked-out sandbox. I know I really shouldn't be starting anything new, since I'm behind on 'Not With the Eyes, But With the Mind' and am currently a slave to the project my friend and I are lovingly referring to as Fringegate: Atlantis, but I just couldn't help myself. Season 8's ending left a bad taste in my mouth, like attempting to brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack. I can't do it justice, but I can have a bit of fun and hopefully give everyone's favourite paramedic a happier, less OOC ending. Cheers!**

***

Gabriel held as tight as he could to his wife's hand, tugging her along. For nearly a quarter of an hour, her footsteps had been flagging. They had to keep moving because the legion was still in pursuit. If they stopped for even a moment's breath, he knew she would fall and, God help him, he would never leave her behind.

"Come on, baby," he called, "it's not much further."

The answer he received was better than he had hoped. Mercy's pace quickened until she was once again matching him step for step. Gabriel threw a quick thank you to the heavens and pushed onward.

They reached the warehouse in no time at all. Once they were inside, with the door safely barred, Gabriel found a seat for Mercy and began systematically tearing the warehouse apart. He searched every nook and cranny, coming up empty handed. Frustrated and near-hopeless, he tugged at his hair. "It has to be here!" he shouted, kicking some debris across the room.

"Gabriel, breathe," Mercy commanded, rising wearily from her seat. "We'll find it."

Gabriel tipped his head back, breathing slowly and counting down from ten. By the time he reached three, his temper was under control for the moment. Pacing again, he studied the warehouse. Where would be the best place to hide something that wasn't supposed to exist, he wondered.

As Mercy searched through the debris on the floor, an idea came to him. Gabriel raced up the dilapidated stairs that were teetering on one side. The second floor was dark except for the busted out frame of an old window, open to the night sky. Gabriel carefully made his way to the old sill, doing his best to stay out of the light.

He ran his hand over the rotting wood, nearly whooping with joy when his fingers slipped into a pocket beneath it. Gabriel felt around and closed his fingers over the item inside the hole. He withdrew a worn velvet box. He opened the box in awe, revealing the one thing he and Mercy had been seeking all this time. The old gold glimmered in the light of the moon and Gabriel took it out of the box. Triumphant, he closed his fist around it and sped back to the main floor of the warehouse.

When Gabriel reached the bottom of the staircase, the breath left his body. Standing in the middle of the space, was Zod, surrounded by a contingent of his best soldiers. The man had Mercy's long, red braid wrapped around his forearm and had forced her neck into a painful angle. Gabriel shook when he saw the tears of pain in his wife's eyes.

"Ah, Gabriel," Zod said, smiling, "how kind of you to join us."

Gabriel swallowed thickly and stepped off the stairs. He forced his breathing to slow, inhaling through his mouth and exhaling through his nose. "Zod," he said, nodding.

"Did you honestly think you could escape us?" Zod said with a patronizing smile. "Did you really think you'd be able to hide from us here, in this hovel?"

Gabriel shook his head, putting his hand in his pockets. He kicked at the debris on the floor, scuffing his worn old work boots. "No, not exactly," he replied.

The smile slipped from Zod's face. "I have been generous, Gabriel, in my offer to you. I am tired of these games. You will answer me now."

Gabriel clenched his jaw, centering himself by looking deep into Mercy's brown eyes. "If you'd let go of my wife, I'd be more than happy to oblige you."

Zod sneered down at Mercy, releasing her hair from his grip and dropping her to the ground. He shoved her hard enough to make her fall forward and Gabriel's fists clenched in his pockets. "You know," Zod said, "it really is pathetic. She is beneath you, yet you treat her as if she holds the world."

"Love is a hard concept to understand when you haven't got a heart," Gabriel ground out.

Zod's face turned dark with anger. "You dare mock me?" he demanded. When Gabriel didn't respond, Zod slapped Mercy hard across the face. His blow spilt a gash across her brow and she fell to the ground, presumably unconscious.

The change in Gabriel was immediate. His skin rippled and he closed his eyes tightly, clenching his fists hard in his pockets. Mercy was off limits. Gabriel yearned to tear Zod limbs off and feed him the pieces, but he desperately tried to reign in control. If they were going to escape alive, Gabriel had to stay in the driver's seat.

"Come then," Zod said, gesturing to the spot on the ground next to where Mercy has collapsed, "I am eagerly awaiting your answer."

Gabriel walked across the room, coming to rest on one knee before his enemy. Reaching out, he ran a hand down Mercy's wrist, beyond relieved to feel her pulse. He raised his eyes to Zod's face, disgusted that the man was smirking.

"I see that you kneel."

"I do," said Gabriel.

"So you will kneel before Zod and accept me as your leader and sovereign?"

Answering Zod's smirk with one of his own, Gabriel slipped his finger into the ring he held in his pocket.

"Never," he stated, throwing himself on top of Mercy and holding her tightly as they disappeared in a flash of white light.

***

Chloe tried to adjust her coat against the cold without dropping the bag of essentials that she'd picked up for the long night of work at Isis that she had planned. It wasn't much more than coffee and some sandwiches, but she was having a terrible time carrying it all. She wished that she'd flipped her collar up before leaving the deli.

Then, suddenly, Chloe was blinded by a brilliant white light. The bag of food fell out of her hands as she vainly threw them up in front of her eyes. There was a loud crash, like trashcans being crushed and then Chloe heard a man groan.

She blinked a few times to clear her vision, spots dancing in front of her eyes. There was a frantic rush of whisper, followed by a woman moaning in pain. As the last of the spots danced out of Chloe's view, a man loped out of a nearby alley holding something in his arms.

He was tall, taller than Chloe at any rate, but less than six feet. He had dark hair and pale skin. As he stepped under the street lamp and adjusted his burden, his eyes zoomed in on Chloe. They were a curious shade of green.

Chloe broke his gaze and glanced at what he was holding. It was a woman, probably no older than Chloe. She had long red hair, pulled back into a braid that was trailing over the man's arm. She was slight, but muscular, and her skin was pale. There was a bright smear of blood over one eye and she appeared to be unconscious.

The man took a step towards Chloe and she took a step back, reaching into her pocket for either her cell phone or her pepper spray; she wasn't sure which. His eyes were glassy as he stared at Chloe, hugging the woman close.

"Please," he said, "please help us."


	2. A little help from my friends

**A/N: So a few quick things. Mercy is not Tess Mercer, this takes place mid-season 8, post-wedding/divorce, and try picturing Matt Cohen (young John Winchester) when you think of Gabriel. Here goes nothing.**

***

Chloe wrung her hands together as she watched the couple in Isis's sitting room. The man had draped the woman across the couch and was holding her hand for dear life, rocking slightly and frantically whispering in her ear. When she'd regained her faculties on the street, Chloe had offered to call an ambulance to take the pair to the hospital, but the young man's eyes had filled with panic and he'd shaken his head frantically. She hoped she'd done the right thing by taking them to Isis and calling for help.

The elevator chimed behind her and an unwilling smile lit Chloe's face, inappropriate considering the circumstances. The doors opened and revealed the figure of one Davis Bloome, attired in his paramedic's uniform, carrying his kit. His lips quirked into a quick half smile when they landed on Chloe, but he quickly put a more serious look on his face when he stopped to stand by her.

"Davis," she said, "I'm so glad you're here."

Davis's lips pursed and he shook his head slightly. "It's good to see you too. So where's the emergency?"

Chloe frowned at Davis's remark. It made Chloe sad to realize that she hadn't seen Davis since before the wedding fiasco, even though they'd spoken on the phone a number of times since she'd become herself again. "They're just in here," Chloe said leading Davis into the sitting area.

He stepped in front of her and stood awkwardly, clearing his throat to get the man's attention. When that didn't work, Davis crossed the room and squatted beside the man, setting the kit on the ground. "Hey, I'm Davis," he said, lightly touching the man's shoulder, "I'm here to help."

Chloe was surprised when the man swept Davis's hand away with an honest to goodness growl. His eyes were almost feral as he looked between Davis and the woman on the couch. Davis, however, was not deterred. He kept his tone calm, as if trying to pacify a wild animal. "I'm here to help, I promise. I just need you to back up a little so I can check her over, okay?"

The fear in the young man's gaze cleared and he blinked a few times, breathing deeply. "Are you...are you a doctor?" he asked Davis.

Davis shook his head. "I'm a paramedic," he said, waiting for the young man to move back.

"A paramedic?" the young man asked, visibly confused.

Davis shot Chloe a questioning look before turning his attention back to the man. "I'm a first responder. If someone is hurt, I help them how I can and get them to a hospital as soon as possible."

The man shook his head. "No," he said firmly, "no hospitals. We can't go to a hospital...they won't understand..."

Davis bit his lip and Chloe watched as his brow furrowed. "Okay, okay," he said, "no hospitals, but she's still hurt, so I need to check her to see if she needs to go to a doctor."

The young man nodded and moved back slightly, but did not let go of the woman's hand. Davis took the woman's other hand, placing his fingers over her pulse and waiting. "Her pulse is strong," Davis said, "can you tell me what happened?"

The young man's eyes grew cloudy and a muscle in his cheek twitched. "We were...looking for something. Then he came and he grabbed her and he hit her. She wasn't moving."

"Who hit her," Davis asked, "her boyfriend?"

"She doesn't have a boyfriend, she's my wife," the young man said harshly.

Davis's eyes went round as he checked the woman's blood pressure before pushing her red hair to the side and examining the cut on her face. "What's her name?" Davis asked.

"Mercy," the young man said quietly, stroking the back of his wife's hand, "her name is Mercy."

As Davis prodded the woman's cut, her eyelids fluttered. "Mercy," Davis said, "if you can hear me, I need you to open your eyes...if you can."

Mercy moaned and tried to roll her head away from Davis's prodding fingers. Slowly, her eyes opened, focusing directly on her husband as she lifted a hand to try to push Davis away. The young man growled warningly at Davis, who moved his hand away in response. "Gabriel," she said, licking her dry lips, "did we make it?"

The smile that lit Gabriel's face nearly brought tears to Chloe's eyes where she stood, a silent witness to his joy. It changed his whole demeanour. His green eyes shimmered with what Chloe thought might be tears and he kissed the tips of Mercy's fingers. "Yeah, baby," he said, "we did."

"Where are we?" she said, trying to sit up before pressing a hand to head and lying back down.

Davis fidgeted, eager to get back to his examination.

"I'm not sure," Gabriel said honestly, focusing his jade gaze on Chloe. "What is this place?" he asked.

Chloe tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled softly. "This is the Isis Foundation. We provided support for people who have...special gifts."

"Like meteor powers?" Mercy asked, letting Davis clean and bandage her head wound.

"Yes," Chloe said, "exactly."

Mercy and Gabriel shared a look that tripped Chloe's weird-ar. Davis, apparently satisfied with his examination, snapped his gloves off and closed his kit before standing. "You're lucky," he said to Mercy, "aside from the cut and a mild concussion, you're fine. Maybe exhausted, but mostly fine. You probably don't need to go to the hospital, but I'd get Gabriel here to keep an eye on you. If you feel any dizziness or nausea, you should go see a doctor right away."

Mercy and Gabriel nodded. "Thank you for your help," Gabriel said.

Davis gave the man a half-smile and moved to Chloe's side, taking her by the elbow and leading her out into the lobby.

"How are you doing?" he asked quietly, pushing the button for the elevator.

Chloe knew he wasn't just asking about how she felt about Mercy and Gabriel's situation. She did her best to smile at him. "As good as can be expected, considering everything that's happening, I guess," she said. "Thanks for coming tonight. I know you're busy, but it means a lot to me that you'd take the time to help."

Davis smiled in response and shrugged, squeezing her elbow gently. "I was just on my way home when you called; it was no trouble at all."

Chloe placed her hand on Davis's forearm and squeezed back. "I hope I didn't interrupt any plans...I know you don't get a lot of nights off."

His dark eyes softened and he pressed his lips together. "On the off chance I did have plans, I'd have cancelled them. You know I'll always be there when you need me, Chloe."

A warm feeling spread from the tips of Chloe's toes to the top of her head. It was so nice to have someone who was willing to be there for her, no matter what. She hadn't really felt that way since Pete moved in high school. Sure, she could depend on Clark, if he wasn't off saving the world, and Lois was more than willing to be there, if she wasn't busy trying to get her name above the fold, but it was so nice to know that there was someone out there willing to drop everything to help her out. "Thanks for this, Davis," she said, smiling softly.

"Like I said, Chloe, no trouble," he repeated as the elevator dinged open, "no trouble at all. Is it okay if I call you later this week? We could have coffee or something..."

Chloe nodded as Davis stepped into the elevator. He waved slightly as the doors closed and Chloe walked back toward the sitting room.

Gabriel was now sitting on the couch with Mercy. Her legs were draped over his and her head was buried in his shoulder. Her long red braid trailed over his arm, which was firmly around her back. Chloe's heart clenched. Her marriage to Jimmy hadn't lasted long enough for them to have moments like that and it was hard to be reminded of that fact.

"So," Chloe said with forced lightness, "is there anyone I can call for you? Anyone who can help you?"

Gabriel's green eyes met hers and he frowned lightly. "We need to find someone," he said, "a woman...in her mid twenties maybe, depending on what year it is."

Mercy gave him a hard look but Gabriel's comment had already tripped her weird-ar again. "You don't know the year?" Chloe asked, raising an eyebrow.

Gabriel shook his head.

"It's 2009," Chloe said.

Mercy sighed in relief. "We're not too late," she said to Gabriel quickly.

"Too late for what?" Chloe demanded.

Gabriel shook his head again. "I'm afraid we can't share that information with you" he said, his voice taking on a tone of authority; "We need to find a woman called Chloe Sullivan. Can you help us?"

Chloe laughed out loud. "I don't have to help you," she said.

"What?" Mercy said.

Chloe gestured to herself. "I am Chloe Sullivan."


End file.
